November 28, 2010Mind mapping.

Last year my friend Matthews, formerly doing his PhD in physics and someone I truly admire and love, told me about mind maps, and how he used them to study and take notes. I found it fascinating, but never had the opportunity to use it, since I didn’t have anything to study.Or so I thought. Although I was actually studying German on my own, but really didn’t know how to use it with a language, seemed a bit too abstract to break down in a mental map, here is the video. Right now am studying German History, for the gazillionth time in my life, and therefore am starting my mind map challenge. And studying is never been so fun. But it can actually be used to planning a trip, organizing your “to do list”. It reminds me of this comics I used to make to study Philosophy in High School, only more effective. It is about maximizing your resources, by minimizing your time expenditure.

Here is a little How to guide I have found in the internets:

The Mind Map® is an expression of Radiant Thinking and is therefore a natural function of the human mind. It is a powerful graphic technique which provides a universal key to unlocking the potential of the brain. The Mind Map can be applied to every aspect of life where improved learning and clearer thinking will enhance human performance. The Mind Map has four essential characteristics:

The subject of attention is crystallised in a central image.

The main themes of the subject radiate from the central image on branches.

How to Make a Mind Map®

The ‘Laws of Mind Mapping’ were originally devised by Tony Buzan when he codified the use of imagery, colour and association and coined the phrase ‘Mind Mapping’. In the intervening 30 plus years, there have been many variations on the original ‘Mind Map ‘ and the widespread usage of mapping software of various sorts, has dramatically changed what is possible.

The summary below is based on Buzan’s structure (a ‘Mind Mapping, how to’ – details available in his many books) but we believe that whilst this structure is great for establishing well structured maps that can be used in many different ways, variations on these rules or ‘laws’ are often sensible and appropriate – as long as they are based on an understanding of why the laws exist and what they are trying to help the mind mapper to achieve.

4. Make a central image that represents the topic about which you are writing/thinking:

Use at least three colours.

Keep the height and width of the central image to approx. 2’’ or 5 cm (proportionately larger for bigger paper).

Allow the image to create its own shape (do not use a frame).

A picture is worth a thousand words. It opens up associations, focuses the thoughts, is
fun and results in better recall:

Colours stimulate the right cortical activity of imagination as well as capturing and holding attention.

This size gives plenty of space for the rest of your Mind Map, while making it large enough to be the clear focus of the topic.

The unique shape makes it more memorable and enjoyable. A frame makes the centre a monotony of shape and disconnects the branches.

5. The main themes around the central image are like the chapter headings of a book:

Print this word in CAPITALS or draw an image.

Place on a line of the same length

The central lines are thick, curved and organic i.e. like your arm joining your body, or the branch of a tree to the trunk.

Connect directly to the central image.

The main themes, connected to the central image on the main branches, allow their relative importance to be seen. These are the Basic Ordering Ideas (BOIs) and aggregate and focus the rest of the Mind Map: